Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson opens up about the emotional turmoil of helping his wife, Mallory Swanson, through injury rehab
Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year, $177 million contract with the Chicago Cubs in December 2022, ending his time with the Atlanta Braves. The choice was made because his new wife, Mallory Pugh Swanson, played professional soccer for the Chicago Red Stars of the NWSL in Chicago.
Mallory was preparing to compete for the American women's national team in a World Cup this summer in Australia and New Zealand. At the same time, Dansby was only two weeks into his first season in Chicago. They were anticipating their first of many summers in Chicago together.
However, events changed course. Following a collision with Aoife Mannion of Ireland, Mallory went down on her left knee. Her teammates and coaches gathered as she was carried off the pitch.
Swanson said, "It's been incredibly tough. When you see the person you love the most be hurt like that, it's just emotional. Just devastating."
Swanson had to play major league baseball while his wife underwent surgery and started her rehabilitation. Swanson even missed a game on April 12, for the first time since 2021.
When Dansby Swanson joined Chicago Cubs
Dansby Swanson and the Chicago Cubs signed a $177 million contract deal. Apart from Swanson joining the Cubs, other notable signings include Trea Turner to the Philadelphia Phillies, Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres, and Carlos Correa to the San Francisco Giants on a 13-year contract.
Now that all four players have signed, the total value of their contracts is an astounding $1.107 billion. Swanson concluded the season with new records for stolen bases (18), RBIs (96), and batting average (.277). Last season, he hit 25 home runs for the Atlanta Braves.
Swanson is a slight improvement compared to Nico Hoerner, who played shortstop for the Chicago Cubs last year. Hoerner was close to the top of the chart in every defensive metric among shortstops last season. However, his stats weren't as good as Dansby Swanson's.